The South Korean Army is reportedly holding trial operations on the central front with patrol robots and remote-controlled armed robots to step up surveillance along the border areas.

A military official said Tuesday that the patrol and armed robots in addition to an operating system for them have been running, with one set at a guard post on the central front. The robots and system will continue their trial run into late this year. If they are deemed effective, they will be deployed at GPs along the inter-Korean border.

The patrol robot transmits real-time images of its surveillance to the control room while the remote-controlled armed robots, armed with a K-4 high-speed Automatic Grenade Launcher, can deal immediately with infiltrating enemies.

A Samsung Techwin official which supplied the robots said that the armed robot does not fire on its own accord. Instead human soldiers control it, adding that the robots will not fully replace the human forces in the border area.